Mishawaka's Jared Melander Wins 2026 National League Rookie of the Year Award

Awards week has arrived as we will be announcing the 2026 American & National League Award winners voted on by the fourteen ORWBL Managers. 3 points were awarded for a 1st place vote, 2 points for a 2nd place vote, and 1 point for a 3rd place vote.

We will be announcing Awards leading up to the 2026 ORWBL World Series which begins on Saturday. We will get things started today with the 2026 Rookie of the Year Award winners. Congratulations to the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year, Jared Melander of the Mishawaka Meatspins!

He finished just ahead of his Meatspins teammate, Kyle Zildo while finishing 11 points ahead of the 3rd place finisher Sam Newman of the Mechanics.

Melander provided stability in the Mishawaka lineup in a year in which they needed it badly. Melander played in 21 games as that was tied for the team lead. He finished the season with a .393 AVG to go along with 24 HR, 35 RBI, and 30 Runs Scored. He led Mishawaka in Hits on the season while also finishing 2nd in HR behind only Ryan Warmoth who had 26.

It was an impressive season for Melander who helped keep this team going at many points throughout the year. Mishawaka had relied on the same core for much of the past half decade so his addition truly provided some needed depth. This is the 2nd time in the last 3 years that a Mishawaka player has won the award as Nate Fry took home NL ROY honors back in 2024.

2026 National League Rookie of the Year Top 3 Finishers:

1. Jared Melander: 24

2. Kyle Zildo: 18

3. Sam Newman: 13